The present disclosure relates to digital image capture and processing systems employing improved methods of automatic illumination control during a continuous video image capture mode of operation.
Auto-exposure methods used in imaging devices typically involve the steps of (a) acquiring an image with a certain exposure time, (b) analyzing the acquired image and (c) determining if an exposure period needs to be set, and (d) repeating these steps until the image exposure quality meets a predetermined threshold. In the case of imaging barcode scanners, sometimes the imager is running in video mode.
Therefore, if the previous exposure time is incorrect, while the computer is still analyzing the first acquired image, subsequent frame in the video is wasted since it is taken with the same exposure time. The resulting effect is a time-consuming auto-exposure method and at least one frame of the video is wasted.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,841,533 discloses hand-supportable digital-imaging code symbol reading devices employing improvements in automatic illumination and exposure control, in digital imaging applications. However, despite providing improvements in automatic illumination and exposure control, such techniques could still benefit from innovative adaptive measures which work to make digital-imaging based code symbol reading systems more responsive in demanding imaging environments.
Thus, there is a great need in the art for an improved method of and apparatus for reading code symbols using object illumination and imaging techniques which avoid the shortcomings and drawbacks of prior art methods and apparatus.